Cable sheath cutter



March 20, 1962 R. E. HUGLIN CABLE SHEATH CUTTER Filed March 21, 1961 Raymond E Hug/in 1 N VEN TOR.

itd rates ice 3,025,597 CABLE SHEATH CUTTER Raymond E. Huglin, P.(). Box 4573, 511 S. Albany St., Tampa, Fla. Filed Mar. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 97,289 7 Claims. (CI. 3091) This invention relates to cutting devices, and more particularly to hand operated cutters for removing the insulating sheathing around metallic cables.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a sheath or insulating jacket cutting tool that is adapted to facilitate the removal of a portion of the outer jacket or covering of cables, particularly telephone'cables, so as to aid in splicing another cable thereto.

It is another object of this invention to provide a simple, effective and safe to use cable sheath cutting device adapted to one hand operation, and in which the pressure applied may be constantly controlled during the operation of the tool while its progress is plainly visible during the cutting operation so as to prevent damage to the plurality of individually insulated conductors comprising the core of the cable.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a hand cutting tool that is small, compact and simple in design, economical to manufacture, is durable in use, requires a minimum of maintenance, and is therefore ideally suitable for use under field conditions.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a cable sheath cutter that is adjustable in such a manner that it may be used on cables of a variety of sizes.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing the cable sheath cutter in operation;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 33 in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the plane of line 44 in FIG- URE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing a portion of the device as it is used in cutting the sheathing of a relatively large cable.

As shown in the drawings, the cable sheath cutter comprises two lever assemblies Itl and Since these lever assemblies are identical in size and shape, only one will be described in detail. The lever assembly 10-, for example, comprises an elongated handle 12 curved outwardly at 14. The opposite end of the handle comprises a generally arcuate cutter support 16. Each lever assembly is generally rectangular in plan as shown in FIG- URE 2 except for the rectangular recess 20 formed in each of the cutter supports 16. The recess 20 causes the cutter support to be approximately one-third the thickness of the handles 12.

The lever assembly 10 is rotated about a generally horizontal axis 180 relative to the lever assembly 10 and are pivotally connected together by a screw 22 which extends through aligned apertures in the inner ends of the cutter supports 16. The aperture in the lever assembly 10- is chamfered at 24 to rotatably receive the conical head of the screw 22. The aligned aperture in the lever assembly It is threaded for receiving the threads 26 of the screw 22. An annular cutter disk 30 having circular cutting edges 32 is rotatably mounted on the unthreaded shank portion 34 of the screw.

The screw 22 is screwed into the threaded aperture 36 of the lever assembly 10 until the cutting disk 30 has snug but free sliding contact between the inner surfaces of the lever assemblies, and then the hexagonal locknut 28 is threaded upon the screw 22 and tightened against the outer surface of the lever assembly 10 as shown in FIG- URE 3.

A pair of additional cutter disks 30 are rotatably mounted on each of the cutter supports 16 so as to lie in the same plane as the cutter disk 30 on the bolt 22.

Each of the four additional cutter disks 30 are mounted on the cutter supports 16 in an identical manner. As shown in FIGURE 4, each disk 30 has a tapered bore 38 snugly receiving the conical head 40 of screws 42. Each of the screws 42 has a diametrical slot 44 for receiving the end of a screwdriver or other appropriate tool whereby the screws 42 may be screwed into the threaded apertures 36 in the cutter supports 16 so as to rotatably support the cutters 30 snugly between one side of a cutter support and the outer surface of the conical head 40 of the screw 42. After each screw 42 is inserted a proper distance in its aperture 36, it is retained in proper position by a locknut 46. t

In operation, when it is desired to remove the sheath ing 48 from a relatively small cable 50, the operator grasps the two handles 12 in one hand and the sheathing 48 and cable 50 in the other hand. He opens the ban dles slightly and inserts the cable 50 between the jaws 52 and moves it inwardly until it abuts the innermost cutting disk 30 on the screw 22. The cable extends at a substantialy angle to the plane of the cutters. The operator then presses the handles 12 together until the inner three cutter disks 30 cut through the sheathing 48 as shown in FIGURE 1 and contact the outer surface of the cable 50. Contact between the cutter wheels or disks and the outer surface of the cable 50 can be determined by feel or resistance in the handles 12 and visual means. After the cutter disks contact the outer surface of the cable 50, the operator then oscillates the handles 12 back and forth about the axis of the cable 50 until the sheathing has a circular cut formed therein by the cutter Wheels. The sheathing then may be pulled oil? of the end of the cable with ease.

If it is desired to remove the sheathing 54 from a relatively large cable 56, then the operator opens the jaws 52 much further as indicated in FIGURE 5. He then inserts the cable 56 between the jaws 52 and urges it inwardly until it contacts the pair of innermost opposing rollers supported on the inner portions of the cutter supports 16 and on the screws 42. The innermost cutter on the screw 22 is not used in cutting the sheathing 54.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the outer edges of the cutter supports 16 are bulged outwardly as shown at 58 so as to extend beyond the cutting edges 32 and thereby function as a safety guard therefor.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A cable sheath cutter comprising a pair of lever assemblies and each having a handle and cutter support, pivot means connecting said assemblies so that each handle lies adjacent the other handle and each cutter support lies adjacent the other cutter support, said cutter supports being forced together when said handles are forced together, opposing sheath cutting means carried by said cutter support, a first cutter wheel rotatably carried by said pivot means between said lever assemblies, said cutter wheel and said cutting means being coplanar.

2. A cable sheath cutter comprising a pair of lever assemblies and each having a handle and cutter support, pivot means connecting said assemblies so that each handle lies adjacent the other handle and each cutter support lies adjacent the other cutter support, said cutter supports being forced together when said handles are forced together, opposing sheath cutting means carried by said cutter support, a first cutter wheel rotatably carried by said pivot means between said lever assemblies, said cutter wheel and said cutting means being coplanar, said cutting means comprising a plurality of additional cutter wheels rotatable on said cutter supports.

3. A cable sheath cutter comprising a pair of lever assemblies and each having a handle and cutter support, pivot means connecting said assemblies so that each handle lies adjacent the other handle and each cutter support lies adjacent the other cutter support, said cutter supports being forced together when said handles are forced together, opposing sheath cutting means carried by said cutter support, a first cutter wheel rotatably carried by said pivot means between said lever assemblies, said cutter wheel and said cutting means being coplanar, said cutting means comprising a plurality of additional cutter wheels rotatable on said cutter supports of each lever assembly.

4. A cutter as defined in claim 3 wherein the first cutter wheel and an adjacent additional cutter wheel on each cutter support are adapted to cut sheathing of relatively small diameter and only the additional cutter wheels are adapted to cut sheathing of relatively large diameter.

5. A cutter as defined in claim 4 wherein all of said cutter wheels are of the same diameter.

6. A cutter as defined in claim 4 wherein each cutter wheel is journaled on a screw threaded into the body of one of said lever assemblies, and a locknut is tightened on the outer end of said screw against said body.

7. A cutter as defined in claim 5 including a total of five of said cutter wheels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,841,251 Miller Ian. 12, 1932 2,875,518 Dyczynski Mar. 3, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 283,408 Germany Apr. 14, 1915 

